BONTOC, Mountain Province – This year’s weeklong celebration of the Mountain Province Craft Exposition (MPCE) was launched with a new brand name at the Provincial Plaza on December 11, 2023 right after the Monday program of the provincial government.
Since its inception in 2015, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)–MP Provincial Director Mabel F. Banggawan said that the craft expo has always been a major annual platform of the DTI, in close collaboration with the provincial government to help the different micro, small, medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the province by featuring their products to the buying public for sale and income.
This year, the MPCE had been rebranded to “Mountain Province Craft Exposition, the New Edition” that comes with a tagline, “Honoring Culture, Showing Craftsmanship” which highlights the province’s deep respect for its culture and the celebration of the exceptional craftsmanship that are being showcased annually.
“The 33rd MPCE, the New Edition, and its weeklong activities will be a testament to the power of creativity, the beauty of diverse culture, and the significance of supporting local industries. I am confident that this event will not only captivate your senses but also leave a lasting impression on the importance of fostering creativity in the community,” Banggawan said.
Meanwhile, the launching of the 33rd MPCE was graced by DTI-Cordillera Administrative Region Regional Director Juliet P. Lucas and Governor Bonifacio C. Lacwasan, Jr., represented by Executive Assistant Winston V. Calde.
In her message, Lucas disclosed that as part of the new version of the MPCE, this year’s expo is more inclusive and wider in scope as it features six among the ten domains of industry as stipulated in the Republic Act No. 11904, also known as the Philippine Creative Industry Development Act. These six domains include audio visual domain, creative services, design domain, visual arts, traditional cultural expressions, and cultural rights.
In addition, Lucas shared some insights on economic growth. According to her, for Mountain Province to further grow in economy, there must be a growth in population and revenue, product branding that is well known not just in Cordillera but across the country, and patronization of the province’s local products.
Being the DTI’s consistent partner in conducting the craft expo, Calde relayed Governor Lacwasan’s hope for the continuous conduct of the activity. According to Calde, the Governor believes that the yearly conduct of the craft expo is fruitful in terms of promotion and improvement of local products.
“Sapay kuma ta ma sustain daytuy nga activity. Mamati ak nga ado iti maitulong na daytuy nga activity in terms of promoting our locally-produced products. Mamati ak nga babaen iti sharings dagiti local producers tayo, ado ti maadal da tapnu karkaro pay nga pumintas ti produkto da,” Calde said.
“In closing, I call on our people to patronize our local products. By doing so, you are helping our local producers, you are helping our communities grow economically, and you are helping in preserving our environment and our cultural heritage,” Calde added. By MP Press Release
